Functional Behavioral
Assessment:
Relevance for ASD
November 2012
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Jointly Developed By:
The Autism Society
The IDEA Partnership
Project (at NASDSE)
With funding from the US Department of Education,
Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
January 2011
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Development Team
The following role groups worked together to create the documents and tools for the ASD
Functional Behavioral Assessment presentation:
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Behavior Analyst
Educational
Diagnosticians
General Education
Administrator
Higher Education
Occupational
Therapist
Parents
January 2011
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Person on Spectrum
Psychologists
Social Workers
Special Education
Administrator
Special Education
Teachers
Technical Assistance
Providers
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Outline for Presentation
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IDEA Requirements and Definitions
FBA: What it IS and Is NOT
7 Steps in the FBA Process
Quotes from Temple Grandin
January 2011
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Educational Definition
(IDEA) 34 CFR §300.8(c)(1)(i)
“Autism” means a developmental
disability significantly affecting verbal
and non-verbal communication and
social interactions, generally evident
before age 3, that adversely affects a
child’s educational performance.
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Educational Definition
(IDEA) 34 CFR §300.8(c)(1)(i)
Other characteristics often associated with autism
are engagement in repetitive activities and
stereotyped movements, resistance to
environmental change or change in routine,
and unusual responses to sensory experiences.
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IEP must include
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A statement of the child’s present levels of
academic achievement and functional
performance. (§ 300.320(a)(1)
“Functional performance” is a term that is
generally understood to refer to skills and
activities that are not considered academic,
i.e. routine activities of everyday living.
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Functional Behavior Assessment Legal
Requirements
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Must be considered by the IEP Team when a
child’s behavior impedes the child’s learning or
that of others § 300.324(a)(2)
When a child is removed for disciplinary
reasons, an FBA and individual behavioral
intervention services (BIP) must be applied
§300.530(d)(2)
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When conduct is a manifestation of the disability,
the IEP Team must conduct FBA (unless
previously done) and implement BIP §300.530 (f)
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Functional Behavioral Assessment
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A team process that includes caregivers
A comprehensive and individualized strategy
designed to
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Identify why a behavior occurs and the context in
which it occurs
Reduce the frequency/severity of the target
behavior through:
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Developing and implementing a plan to modify variables
that maintain the behavior
Teaching new behaviors that serve the same function
using positive interventions
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What a FBA Is Not
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Not a means to remove the student from
current placement
Not a means to determine eligibility
Not a method to determine placement
Not a method of assessing broad academic
performance
Not a punishment for the student
Not a way to avoid accountability
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What a FBA Is Not
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Not a directive from the “expert”
Not static – not a one time thing
Not a series of checked boxes
Not one instrument or source
Not a complete program for the student
Not a blame game
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Functional Behavioral Assessment
Steps in the process
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Understand the individual and how ASD impacts
that individual
Define the behavior
Devise and implement a plan to collect data
Review and analyze the data
Create the hypothesis
Develop and implement a behavior intervention
plan (BIP)
Monitor the plan
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(Step 1) Understand
the Individual:
How Student is Impacted by ASD
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Processing
 Executive function
challenges
 Difficulty taking
others’ perspectives
 “Can’t see the
forest for the trees”
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Communication
Social
Sensory
Emotional
Vulnerability
Motor
Repetitive and
restricted behaviors
Biological factors
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(Step 2) Define
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The most important behavior
Observable behavior
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the Target Behavior
What does the behavior looks like?
Could someone who does not know the student
recognize the behavior as it is described?
Measurable
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How long does it last?
How intense is it?
How often does it occur?
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Defining the Target Behavior
Non-example
 She’s lazy
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He does not listen
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Example
 Does not put
homework
assignments in bin
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Puts head on desk
during math
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(Step 3) Devise
and Implement a
Plan to Collect Data
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The primary purpose of collecting data is to
gather information that will allow you to
determine patterns of behavior
The team, including caregivers, collaborates
to identify data collection plan
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Components of Data Collection Plan
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Identify how data will be collected
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Records review
Interviews
Checklist
Direct observation
Determine who will collect the data and when
Determine how long data will be collected
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Antecedents, Behavior, Consequences
(ABC) and Setting Events
Setting Event
Antecedent
Behavior
Consequences
Jamal is in the
computer lab with
a substitute
computer teacher.
Jamal approaches
a computer and
sees a child sitting
there working on
a program.
Jamal hits the
child, screams,
and tries to
remove the child
from the chair.
The child leaves.
Jamal sits down
the computer and
begins to work.
Substitute teacher
intervenes and
sends Jamal to
the office.
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Antecedents, Behavior, Consequences
(ABC) and Setting Events
Setting Event
Antecedent
Behavior
Consequences
At lunch prior to
math class, Jamal
received a
hamburger
instead of the
scheduled
chicken tenders.
The math teacher
asked Jamal to do
a math worksheet
that was similar to
one he had
completed
previously.
Jamal rips up the
worksheet, throws
it on the floors,
and loudly
screams to the
teacher, “You’re
fired!”
Jamal is sent to
the office and, as
a result, does not
complete the
worksheet.
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(Step 4) Review
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What patterns exist?
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How many incidents occur …
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and Analyze Data
… with a specific person?
… at a designated time?
… in a specific place?
What does the individual get and/or avoid?
Analyze data and present to the team,
including caregivers, using family friendly
terms.
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ABC-Iceberg
Jamal
Antecedent(s)
Behavior
Consequence(s)
“Work refusal”
• Jamal receives math
worksheet similar to one
he had completed
previously
Specific Behaviors
*As
 Jamal is sent to the
Rips up worksheet
Throws worksheet on floor
 Tells teacher that she is fired.
determined through the Underlying Characteristics Checklist
office
Jamal does not
complete worksheet
© Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. and Barry G. Grossman, Ph.D.
ABC-Iceberg
Jamal
Antecedent(s)
Behavior
Consequence(s)
“Work refusal”
• Jamal receives math
worksheet similar to one
he had completed
previously
Specific Behaviors
Underlying
Characteristics*
 Jamal is sent to the
Rips up worksheet
Throws worksheet on floor
 Tells teacher that she is fired.
office
Jamal does not
complete worksheet
Executive function challenges
Difficulty taking others’ perspectives
Expresses a strong need for
sameness
Displays poor problem solving skills
Limited understanding of own
responses
Restrictive and repetitive behaviors
Difficulty managing stress and
anxiety
Communication challenges
Difficulty expressing frustration verbally
Difficulty with goal oriented behavior
Difficulty understanding connections
between his behavior and consequences
Emotional vulnerability
*As
determined through the Underlying Characteristics Checklist
© Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. and Barry G. Grossman, Ph.D.
Review and Analyze Data
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Data Triangulation Chart for Jamal
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(Step 5)
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Make an educated guess based on data
collected to determine reason for targeted
behavior
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Create the Hypothesis
Look at the setting events and ABC pattern
Consider underlying characteristics of ASD
Gain consensus as a team on the function of
the behavior
Develop a hypothesis for the replacement
behavior or new skill to be taught
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Create the Hypothesis
When _________ occurs, the student will
______ in order to __________ because of
his ASD characteristics of ______________,
___________, ___________,
______________ (etc).
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When _________ occurs, the
student will ______ in order to
__________ because of his ASD
characteristics of ______________,
___________, ___________,
______________ (etc).
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Develop and Implement a
Behavior Intervention Plan
(Step 6)
The plan, based on the hypotheses statements,
should incorporate positive strategies to:
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Modify the physical environment
Adjust the curriculum or instructional strategies
Change the the antecedent and/or consequences
for the student’s behavior
Address the student’s underlying characteristics
Teach more acceptable behavior(s)
Implement within a broader comprehensive plan
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Develop and Implement Behavior
Intervention Plan (cont.)
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The plan should incorporate positive
strategies to:
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Establish procedures for responding to the
behavior of concern, if it occurs
Implement the plan
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Train and coach all (staff, caregivers, peers) who
interact with student
Schedule instruction to address new skills
Implement consistently
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(Step 7)
Monitor the Plan
Collect
Data
Review and
Evaluate
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Continue or
Modify
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Quotes from Temple Grandin
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“A treatment method or an educational
method that will work for one child may not
work for another child.“
“People are always looking for the single
magic bullet that will totally change
everything. There is no single magic bullet.”
“I cannot emphasize enough the importance
of a good teacher.”
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Reflections!
Questions?
Discussion.
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